1951 Gary Thode (Saskatoon Tech) Curling Team

Team (2008)

Curling

Gary Thode **, Gary Cooper, Orest Hryniuk and Roy Husfmith became the first team from Saskatoon to ever win the Canadian schoolboys curling championship, beating Alberta in the final game of the 1951 tournament at Nelson, B.C.

Thode, Cooper and Hufsmith were holdovers from a Saskatoon Tech team which lost in the provincial finals in 1950. Hryniuk joined them for the 1951 season. They won the city championship, went through the northern playoffs undefeated and beat Chuck Day of Grand Coulee two straight in the provincial final. Going into the final draw at Nelson, Thode's Saskatchewan team and Alberta were tied at the top of the standings, each with seven wins and one loss. Down one after eight ends, Thode counted three on the ninth and then held Alberta to one for a 9-8 victory.

It was the first of two Canadian titles for Thode, Cooper and Hufsmith and the first of four for their coach, Ken Moir.

** Deceased